All those months ago
by CassandraHolly
Summary: All those months ago, Harry said something to Danny, something that made them hate eachother from day 1- Tom's sick of it. Can they fix the friendship  or lack thereof  before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Dougie, you ever gonna come off that thing?"

Dougie looked up from his new Nintendo D.S, smiling somewhat absently before returning to Mario. The games console had been one of the gifts he'd received from Danny, and quite frankly, Harry was sick of the relentless attention he'd been giving it.

"Dougie!" He said, louder. Dougie didn't look up on time. "Dougie, for crap's sake! Put that _thing _away, you're supposed to be rehearsing for the performance tonight!" Harry snapped. Dougie looked up, hurt. Danny snorted, his gaze fixed on the football match on T.V; Harry turned on him, instead.

"You should be, too." Harry said darkly. Danny looked up at the taller man from where he was sprawled across the sofa.

"Oh, sorry, dad." Danny smirked.

"Grow up!"

"If growing up means turning in to you, I'd rather stay down here, thanks all the same." A muffled giggle escaped Dougie's lips, and Harry turned red with anger.

"Jesus, no wonder your dad left!" The words were regretted the minute they left his lips; Danny's ears went red and he stood up, looking up at Harry with a murderous look on his face.

"Why don't you take that fucking stuck up attitude of yours and stick it up your gay ass with those drumsticks?" Danny retorted.

"Daniel!" Tom said, shocked- he'd just walked in. "Don't you _dare _talk to people like that!"

"But he said-"

"Nothing he said can provoke that kind of language." Tom cut him off sternly.

"But-" Danny started, Harry smirking.

"No!" Tom snapped.

"Tom?" Dougie mumbled, looking uncomfortable. Tom looked at him. "Harry... um, he said..." he trailed off and stared back at his DS, cheeks burning. Tom frowned; it wasn't like Dougie to sneak on Harry. Maybe Harry _had _said something mean?

"What did he say?"

"He said... stuff about Danny's, um, dad leaving." Dougie was pink too now; Tom looked at Harry, anger burning in his eyes.

"Right. That is the _final straw._"

Dougie, Danny and Harry looked on, wide eyed, as Tom launched in to a rant.

"I am _sick _and _tired _of you two! And I know Dougie is too! Why can't you just get along? Why can't you sort it out, or even beat the shit out of each other and get it over with, like men? Do you have to keep getting at each other and hitting on personal remarks like that? Seriously, I swear to God I am so close to locking you in a room until you _get over it_! Or, better yet, just leaving you until you sort it out!"

"But Harry-"

"Danny!" Tom yelled, rounding on him. "Can you stop acting like everything's his fault? It's both of you! Now are you going to grow up and sort this out, or- Danny? Danny! Come back here!"

Danny was walking away. Tom reached out and grabbed his arm, but Danny just pulled away.

"Daniel Jones!" Tom said, in his warning voice. Dougie's eyes, already huge, increased. Last time he'd heard that voice, he'd ended up grounded for a month because he'd stolen a CD from the corner shop.

But Danny, oblivious, carried on storming out. He took the stairs two at a time.

"Act your age for once!" Harry called.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I HATE YOU!" Danny's voice screamed down, and a door slammed. Complete silence took over the household. Tom turned to Dougie, and saw him crying.

"Dougie?" His anger at the two drained, and he sat next to Dougie. "What's wrong?"

"I- I don't know." He mumbled.

"He's scared." Harry said in an inferior voice. Tom glared at him, and he elaborated. "Because shouting would have been what he heard from his parents before his dad went and shagged some other bird-"

Tom punched him.

Reeling back, Harry stared at Tom in shock, flinching back from the fire in Tom's eyes.

"You need to learn to keep your mouth _shut_." Tom spat, then turned back to Dougie. "Dougs, mate, if you want to go up to my room I'll follow you up in a minute and we can play Harry Potter on the Play station."

Dougie nodded, and scrambled up, thankful to get out of the limelight. Tom turned to Harry, who was reluctant to meet his gaze.

"You know, Harry, I was talking to Danny a few months back." Tom said smoothly. "This was the last time we discussed why you two don't get along."

He sat down on the sofa, kicking his feet up on the table and watching Harry intently.

"Now, I don't pretend to know every little detail. But when we were speaking, Danny decided he didn't want to talk about you anymore. Naturally, I persisted."

"Naturally," Harry muttered darkly, as Tom picked up the television remote and switched channels to Friends.

"Danny got angry then, like he does. You've seen him in his tempers. He got that," Tom watched Harry as he spoke, "From his father."

Harry tried not to let emotion show, but his eyes narrowed and his lips thinned.

"All I managed to translate from his screaming were the words, 'He acts like he knows about my dad when he doesn't.'"

Harry stared at Monica and Rachel on the TV, trying to wish himself out of the situation.

"What exactly did you say to him, Harry? All those months ago? Why does he hate you so much?"

Harry sighed deeply, and slumped on to the chair he was standing in front of- previously engaged by Dougie, who, thanks to him, was now upstairs, probably still crying.

Why did he always hurt people?

But Harry knew that this was probably his last chance to fix what he said to Danny. And he needed to tell Tom what he said, even if it meant some serious yelling or fighting.

"I told him," He started, then stopped. "I didn't know that it had affected him so much- you know, when his father..."

"Hit him?" Tom supplied flatly. Harry visibly flinched as he imagined Danny as Tom had found him two months after they met- shattered, bruised and hollow.

"Yeah," Tom carried on, blankly, "Why on Earth would being abused affect him?"

Harry dropped his head in his hands.

"I said... that... that maybe his..." Harry sighed loudly and snapped his head up to look at Tom.

"I told him that maybe if his dad hadn't hit him so hard, he wouldn't be such an idiot."

Harry didn't see that punch coming, either, but he voted he deserved it as he lay on the floor behind the now tipped over chair, bleeding quite severely.

"You deserved that." Tom said, his voice still emotionless.

"I know." Harry agreed, leaning over and spitting out blood on the coffee table.

"Did he punch you when you said it?"

"Yeah. Then he kicked me in the shin- would've been the balls, I moved out the way- and called me a stuck up, twisted, selfish dick head."

"Good for him."

"Then he started crying and ran away."

"Of course he did." Tom nodded, watching Harry slowly get up.

"You realise I'm not gonna help you fix this, right?" Tom said. Harry looked at him.

"What?"

"You have to fix this one yourself. You're going to have to make it up to him."

"But-"

"No buts. It's your own fault, you clear up the mess." Tom sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Harry, you're one of my three best mates, but you really are an asshole- you know that, right?"

Harry nodded, and Tom walked out of the room, to go and play with Dougie.

"Oh, and Dougie, too. You made him cry."

"I know." Harry called back. Tom disappeared up the stairs, and Harry watched him, hating that he was right, hating Danny for being so rightfully hurt, and hating himself for being such an idiot.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dan?" The name felt foreign to Harry's mouth, though he'd heard it from Tom and Dougie so many times before. Of course, he didn't call him Daniel- but he'd never called him anything other than Danny. Calling him 'Dan' was something only close friends and family did.

Harry stood outside Danny's door, hands in his pockets. He took one hand out and lightly tapped the door again, leaning in to try and hear anything. After listening for a second, he heard a muffled sniff. Deciding that Danny was going to listen to him whether he liked it or not, Harry opened the door.

Danny was lying on his back on the floor, with his acoustic guitar resting across his stomach, playing a melody. Harry automatically felt a certain amount of respect for the younger boy; Danny was incredible on the guitar, and Harry knew it- even if he didn't want to admit it. He was amazing at singing, too, which Harry was jealous of.

Danny didn't loom at him, but the scowl on his face made it clear that he knew Harry was there. Taking a closer look at Danny, Harry frowned. Had Danny been _crying_?

Danny never cried.

"Danny." He said; Danny just moved down the fret board on his guitar and started playing chords, louder than the melodies.

"Danny, I need to talk to you." Harry said, louder; Danny strummed harder, still glaring at the ceiling.

"Danny!" Harry said angrily. Before he thought about what he was doing, he stormed over, grabbed Danny and yanked him up. The guitar crashed to the ground with an ugly array of strings twanging, mingling with Danny's yells. Harry, out of pure shock at what he was doing, kept his grip on Danny's shirt as he twisted and cried out in pain, trying to get away. Suddenly, he ducked out of his shirt and backed off. Harry dropped the now empty T- shirt and stared, wide eyed, at the shirtless Danny, who was backing up fast. His back connected with the wall and he stayed there, glaring venomously at Harry, who was still getting over the shock.

"Danny..." He croaked, his voice a mere echo of what it had been. Danny just watched him, tensed against the wall. Harry didn't know what to do, so he looked around, then slowly picked up Danny's guitar. He checked it for scratches or broken strings, then placed it carefully in the guitar stand next to Danny's bed; Danny just watched, now looking unsure of himself.

"You OK now, Dougie?" Tom asked, watching the screen as he and Dougie played Harry Potter on the Play station. Dougie nodded absently- Tom saw it out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

"He didn't mean it."

Dougie just nodded again, intent on catching the snitch on the telly before Tom did.

"He and Danny are going to sort this out, you know."

Dougie looked at him sceptically, and Tom paused the game.

"People don't work arguments out. Not like that," Dougie stated flatly. Tom frowned slightly.

"What makes you say that?"

"If people could stop arguing, my mum and dad would've stopped arguing before he left. It always happens. Soon, one of them's going to leave, then we'll have to go back home and carry on like it never happened." Dougie said matter- of- factly. Tom stared at him. How could Dougie believe that?

"Dougie, it is possible to fix arguments." Tom said carefully. Dougie looked confused. "If someone really wants to, they can. And I know Harry really wants to- he feels bad."

"Then how come mum and dad didn't want to fix it?" Dougie said, still looking confused. Tom could have slapped himself- in trying to change Dougie's view of arguments, all he'd done was confuse Dougie about his family.

Anyway, he couldn't change Dougie's point of view just like _that_. He'd obviously grown used to the idea that people always left.

Saving him from answering, a huge crash echoed from downstairs. Dougie jumped, and Tom leapt to his feet.

"What-?" Dougie started.

"Sounded like someone dropped a guitar." Tom said instantly, but as he spoke he heard what sounded like Danny, screaming. Tom threw open the door- as he did so, the yelling stopped- and quietly ran down the stairs. Dougie watched from the top as Tom went to the second floor and peered around Danny's door.

All he could see was Harry, standing and staring at the wall with a strange expression- like guilt, hopelessness, shock and self hate, all mixed in to one. Moving slightly, Tom saw Danny. He was pushed up against the far wall, for some reason shirtless, looking scared and angry. Tom considered stepping in, but decided not to.

It was up to them to sort this out.

He went back up and pushed Dougie in his room. "They're sorting it out." He said, then picked up his controller. Dougie did the same, and in seconds they were lost back in the game.

Danny watched Harry warily as he placed the guitar in the stand (why was he being so careful? Harry was never that careful with Danny's possessions) and turned back to face him. They watched each other for a few minutes, then Harry cleared his throat and said,

"Sorry about the guitar."

Danny's eyes narrowed.

"I don't think it's broken."

Danny blinked.

"The guitar, I mean."

Danny's eyes flicked to the instrument and back.

"I mean, I don't know. It might be out of tune or something now... I don't know stuff about guitars. Um..." He trailed off, and cleared his throat again, looking away. "You do. You're... good at that."

Throughout Harry's awkward speech, Danny's expression had turned from the initial anger, to scepticism, to shock.

Had Harry just _complimented him_?

Harry looked up, and started talking again. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, as well. You know, when I... pulled you up like that..." Danny's screaming echoed in his ears- and that was when he realised. The scene from a few moments ago ran through Harry's head in slow motion.

His hand had reached down- Danny had seen it coming and visibly flinched back to avoid it.

Harry grabbed the neck of Danny's shirt and yanked it in the air, pulling Danny with it and snapping his head back in the process. And the look on Danny's face...

He hadn't been in pain. The yelling was out of fear. Harry had scared him to the point of screaming his lungs out.

"I'm sorry that I scared you." Now he had started, Harry couldn't stop. "I'm sorry about talking to you like that downstairs. I'm sorry about treating you like a kid. I'm sorry about the time I pushed you in the swimming pool, the time I tripped you up in the street, the times I took the piss out of your accent, the times I called you stupid and ugly and... and..."

Danny watched, his mouth open, as Harry listed everything he'd ever done to him. The list grew longer and longer.

When he 'accidentally' burnt Danny with the hot oil from the frying pan.

When he 'accidentally' broke Danny's guitar.

When he found out that Danny had been expelled from school when he was fourteen after false accusations of arson, and used it as blackmail to get Danny to do what he wanted for a week. (And he actually _hated _himself for that- even before today, every time he thought about the look on Danny's face when he was making him food and the like was enough to make him literally bang his head against a wall.)

Eventually, Harry tailed off; by now he was near tears. Danny slid down the wall to the floor, still watching him, and also near tears. Harry walked over and collapsed about three feet away from him. There was a long silence- but it wasn't awkward this time. It wasn't companionable, either. It was just... a thinking silence. Harry thinking about ways he could try and apologise and make it all up to Danny; Danny thinking about all the ways Harry had hurt him, and wondering if he could forgive him.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I had a review saying stuff like 'harry would never do that to Danny' I know, this is just for the purpose of the story, okay? I love Harry just as much as the other three. :) Thanks to all my reviewers, this is the last chapter xx

An hour later-

Harry was lying on the floor with his hands behind his head, legs crossed. Danny was still sitting against the wall, legs stuck out in front of him, gazing at the TV to which he'd found the remote next to him a while back. It was on mute- Danny couldn't sleep without the TV on but the noise bugged him- but he couldn't be bothered to turn the sound up.

"Hey, Danny?" Harry said eventually.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that time when... I found out what happened when you were fourteen? And then I..."

"Made me do everything you could think of, or tell Tom and Dougie? Yeah."

Harry went quiet.

"You know what though?" Danny said after a while. Harry was still watching the ceiling but listening intently.

"Tom already knows."

Harry rolled his head around to look at Danny, surprised. Danny continued. "When I went to London to live with Tom and his family for the first time, I was nearly sixteen. They needed an official file on me before they could take me in to permanently stay with them- it's a legal thing."

Harry stared at Danny, who was still watching the TV."

"It was on my record. Accused of burning down the school. They never did prove it was me- in fact, two months after the whole thing, some kid owned up. I wasn't allowed to know who. They asked me if I wanted to go back, but I couldn't face the school again.

"So anyway, this was all on my file- thing is, because I had been at the scene of the crime, I was still under suspicion. When Debbie and Bob- you know, Tom's parents- took me in, they knew all of that. They met me loads of times before, and they didn't believe I did it. They said that Tom had too good a judgement to make friends with an arsonist. And even if I did do it, I had obviously changed since. Then, when Tom and I had the auditions and you and Dougie made it through, I had to go to this meeting. It was me, Tom, Tom's parents, Tom's sister Carrie, my mum, my sister Vicky, the policeman who'd been in charge of my case and a psychologist."

Harry didn't say a word- he didn't dare to, just watched Danny, who was lost in the past.

"They talked about my dad, hurting me. They talked about how it affected my mind. They said all this stuff about how it was extremely unlikely that I was the one who caused the fire, but there was still a possibility. They interviewed my mum, and my sister. Then they interviewed Tom's mum and dad, and his sister... then Tom. They spoke to him for ages. Asked him all these questions, and... told him stuff about me. Then he had to tell them stuff. Tell them how he came round my house that day when mum was out, and found me nearly dead cause of what my dad did to me. How Vicky was locked in the bathroom, and my dad was passed out on the kitchen floor cause he was so hammered."

Danny sighed. "They had this interview because they needed to know if I was safe enough for Tom to live with me." He looked at Harry.

"He knew, Harry. He always knew. He never believed it was me, even from the moment I told him he said there was no way I would ever do that- and he was right, I wouldn't. He knew that I was scared about starting a band because of the possibility of one of you finding out and telling everyone. But he said that we'd make sure that they were trustworthy and wouldn't ever, ever tell."

Harry felt his heart sinking.

"I didn't like you, when I first met you. Because you were better then me. Richer, better dressed, better family, better looking. I was jealous. Tom saw and told me to pull it together, so I did. You and Dougie found out about my dad, and you were really supportive. And then, about a month later, I dropped that picture frame that your nan gave to you."

"_Danny! What the hell did you do?" Harry looked furious, towering over Danny. Tom and Dougie were out getting food; it was just Harry and Danny, and Danny was scared._

"_I didn't mean to! It- slipped-"_

"_Why did you have it in the first place?"_

"_You told me to turn the light on behind it!"_

"_You could have just moved the picture, you didn't have to pick it up, you dumb ass!"_

"_I'm not dumb!" Danny yelled, close to losing his temper. Harry scoffed._

"_You know, maybe if your dad hadn't hit you so hard you wouldn't be such an idiot."_

"When you were yelling at me, you looked just like my dad did when he was mad. And... you looked just like the teacher did, when he accused me. Being accused that time, that was the scariest moment of my life. And then you said it. About my dad. It's weird though, because I didn't so much get mad cause of what you said... I got mad cause I was scared. It's like, when that teacher was yelling at me, I wanted to hurt him, but I couldn't. And now I had an excuse, to take out my anger on something. And that excuse was you."

_Danny stood there, staring at Harry, for about two seconds before he launched himself on the taller boy. Harry stumbled back as Danny punched him repetitively, screaming and yelling all the time. He kicked- aimed for the balls- Harry moved and Danny got his shin with enough force to knock Harry to the ground. He fled the room, crying._

"I could have forgiven you for what you said about my dad. I was close. And then you found out about the fire, and blackmailed me."

Danny turned to look at Harry.

"And I'd never hated anyone so much in my life. But I was scared, scared that you were going to tell, and scared that everyone would hate me. So I did what you said."

Harry tried to speak, but couldn't. Eventually, he sat up and pulled Danny in to a tight hug.

"I swear to God, Daniel Jones," He said quietly, "That I will never hurt you again."

They stayed in that position (Danny in Harry's arms, crying; Harry firmly holding Danny, crying also) until Tom found them, two hours later, asleep on Danny's bedroom floor.

Dougie moved from behind him, shuffling over and sitting down next to them, before he lay down next to them and closed his eyes. Harry cracked an eye open as Dougie's head wormed it's way in to his side; he looked down and mumbled an apology, ruffled the hair, and closed his eyes again. Tom, watching from the door, smiled and walked away.

_-Seven months later-_

_The interviewer smiled at the four boys, and ruffled her papers. "Now, apparently there was a bit of tension in the band a while back? Could you tell us about that?"_

_They looked at each other; Danny and Harry grinned, sitting next to each other._

"_Nah, we don't talk about the past. We're living in the present," Danny beamed, and Harry added:_

"_Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's over now... it finished, all those months ago."_


End file.
